Japan Indicators Signal Attitude Shift

TOKYO—As Japan's central bank focuses on convincing the public that prices will soon go up again, a raft of indicators suggests inflation expectations could already be on the rise.

Economists and central bankers say that for Japan to reverse a 15-year trend of deflation, the central bank must convince companies and consumers that price rises are imminent. That, in turn, should lead them to push spending plans forward to take advantage...